Anthropologist David Jordan and Daniel Overmyer, a historian of religions, present a joint analysis of the most important group of sectarian religious societies in contemporary Taiwan: those that engage in automatic writing seances, or worship by means of the phoenix" writing implement. Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library... more...

First published in 1992, this title explores the religious diversity of South Africa, organizing it into a single coherent narrative and providing the first comparative study and introduction to the topic. David Chidester emphasizes the fact that the complex distinctive character of South African religious life has taken shape with a particular economic,... more...

Religious crosses the spheres of both the private life and the public institution. In a liberal democracy, public and private interests and goals prove to be inseparable. Clarke Cochran?s interdisciplinary study brings political theory and the sociology of religion together in a fresh interpretation of liberal culture. First published in 1990, this... more...

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian plant mixture that is capable of inducing altered states of consciousness. Though used for centuries by the indigenous cultures of the Amazon, in recent years the use of Ayahuasca has caught on in the West and has become exceedingly trendy. After recent studies doctors and researchers suggest that Ayahuasca has the potential... more...